Wireless service providers deploy and operate radio access networks (RANs) that typically include multiple base stations. Each base station may radiate to define one or more wireless coverage areas. These wireless coverage areas may be configured to overlap such that a wireless communication device (WCD) served by a particular wireless provider is afforded substantially continuous wireless coverage as it moves about. For example, when the WCD is nearing the boundary of its serving wireless coverage area, or if the WCD reports low signal strength from the service wireless coverage area, the RAN may hand the WCD over to a new wireless coverage area.